Ultra-stable protein ionic liquids

ABSTRACT

A method comprising: providing aqueous insulin; titrating the aqueous insulin with a mixture of small molecule anions, e.g. D- and L-amino acid esters, small D- and L-peptide pairs, and DL lactate solution, to form an insulin/anion pair solution. Titrating may be performed until the insulin/anion pair solution becomes negative by zeta potential measurement. The insulin/anion pair solution may be dialyzed to remove excess anionic polymer using a membrane sufficient to separate the insulin/anion pairs from excess small molecule anions. The insulin/anion pair solution may be dialyzed or lyophilized to remove all of the water, forming a solid of ultra-stable insulin. The positive electrostatic charge of the aqueous insulin may be confirmed by measuring a positive zeta potential value.

Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 1.78(a)(4), this application claims the benefit of and priority to prior filed Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/403,774, filed 4 Oct. 2016, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/440,832, filed 23 Feb. 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,463,733, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/587,092, filed 30 Sep. 2019, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/587,124, filed 30 Sep. 2019, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/587,154, filed 30 Sep. 2019, and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/587,199, filed 30 Sep. 2019, which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

RIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENT

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for all governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to ultra-stable, water-free biological materials and, more particularly, to ultra-stable, heat-resistant, biologically active, water-free protein ionic liquids that do not require refrigeration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most biological materials (i.e. proteins and antibodies) thrive in aqueous environments and physiological conditions (neutral pH—between 6-8, ambient temperatures 25-37° C.) in order to perform their biological function. Water is used for stabilizing some biomolecular structures through hydrogen bonding, providing proton donors/acceptors, regulating binding interactions, and controlling molecular dynamics. Conversely, water is also detrimental to biomolecular structure and function by increasing the rate of hydrolysis and oxidation, destabilizing the protein structure, and increasing the susceptibility/sensitivity to elevated temperatures. In total, this results in denaturation, proteolytic degradation, decomposition, and short shelf-lives of these materials.

In order to counteract the effects of water and limit decomposition, current biomolecules, e.g. proteins and antibodies, may require constant refrigeration during storage, handling, and transport in order to preserve their structure, functionality, and biological activity. Generally, antibodies in water may be stable for up to one month when stored at about 4° C. and up to one year when stored in 25% glycerol at −20° C. However, the presence of water in a biological solution will typically result in hydrolysis, even if the temperature is reduced or the solution is frozen. Water promotes hydrogen bonding, intramolecular interactions, stabilizes the antibody structure, facilitates mass transport and diffusion of products, and regulates binding interactions. Water also increases the sensitivity of the antibodies to elevated temperatures, destabilizes protein structures, increases hydrolysis and oxidation rates, reduces shelf lives, and promotes unfolding/denaturation. Consequently, the exclusion of water from antibody preparations is highly appealing and offers a means towards reducing protein degradation, increasing stability, enabling refrigeration-free storage and handling, and significantly increasing shelf-lives. In addition, even if freezing or refrigeration are acceptable alternatives, many places around the world have no available electricity to power refrigeration equipment. The half-life of unrefrigerated antibodies may be as short as 2 days.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the foregoing problems and other shortcomings, drawbacks, and challenges of making stable biologically-active materials, such as proteins and antibodies. While the invention will be described in connection with certain embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. To the contrary, this invention includes all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Based on the numerous drawbacks associated with water in antibody solutions, see above, the aim of this invention, in one embodiment, is the removal of most or all water, i.e. at least 95% water removed or at least 99% water removed, without disrupting the protein/antibody structure and intramolecular interactions/functions. The proteins and/or antibodies are cationized, anionized, and chemically modified into an ionic liquid, but when antibodies are used the modified antibodies maintain high antigen recognition, specificity, and binding affinity, e.g., the modified antibodies maintain picomolar (pM) dissociation constants (KD) about equal to those of native, unmodified antibodies. With regard to binding affinity, this means that the antigens bind strongly to the modified antibodies.

“Water-free” (as defined herein) protein liquids feature the simplicity of traditional inorganic ionic liquids (facile synthesis, ability to tune properties through choice of cation and anion pair, and stability), but display the complexity and functionality of highly active proteins, e.g. antibodies. Because the protein liquids have most or all of the water removed, they are stable liquids, may be resistant to extreme temperatures (>100° C.), able to maintain biological recognition activity, and exhibit much longer shelf-lives without the need for refrigeration.

According to one embodiment of the present invention a method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid, comprises: (a) cationizing aqueous proteins by addition of an excess of a positively-charge crosslinker in the presence of a coupling agent; (b) purifying the cationized proteins; (c) titrating the cationized proteins with a corresponding biologically-compatible counter anionic polymer to create at least one antibody cation/anion pair in aqueous solution until the antibody cation/anion pair solution becomes negative by zeta potential measurement; (d) dialyzing the at least one protein cation/anion pair in water at least once to remove excess anionic polymer using at least one molecular weight cutoff 7000 dialysis membrane; (e) lyophilizing the at least one protein cation/anion pair to remove most of the water, forming a lyophilized solid; and (f) heating the lyophilized solid until a protein ionic liquid is generated. In cationizing the aqueous proteins, a minimum zeta potential value of +5 mV is desired for cationization. In titrating the cationized antibodies, the negative zeta potential is meant below 0 mV to about −1 mV by zeta potential. A negative zeta potential of the titrated cationized antibodies ensures that there is a minor excess of anion but that the positive charges are equally balanced. Heating of the lyophilized solid may be done on a hotplate, in a temperature controlled water bath, or an oven at about 27-50° C., for example. This provides the advantage of producing stable, heat-resistant, biologically active protein ionic liquids that do not require refrigeration. In one embodiment of the present invention, the protein ionic liquid is a viscous, clear liquid. Antibodies may include but are not limited to IgG, IgY, IgM, and other proteins or negatively-charged molecules may also be rendered stable according to the teachings herein.

According to a first variation, the method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid further comprises purifying the cationized proteins from excess coupling reagents by dialysis in water. This provides the advantage of obtaining a pure protein sample composed of only proteins modified with positive charges.

According to another variation, the method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid further comprises cationizing aqueous proteins by addition of an excess of or a stoichiometric amount of N,N-dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine crosslinker in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) coupling reagent.

According to a further variation, the method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid further comprises cationizing aqueous proteins by addition of an excess of or a stoichiometric amount of 2-(dimethylamino) ethanethiol crosslinker in the presence of succinimidyl iodoacetate (SIA) coupling agent.

According to a further variation, the method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid further comprises cationizing aqueous proteins by addition of an excess of or a stoichiometric amount of 2-(dimethylamino) ethanethiol crosslinker in the presence of N-(p-maleimidophenyl) isocyanate (PMPI) coupling agent.

According to another variation, the method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid further comprises performing the dialysis with at least one membrane with a molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) of about 7000 g/mol. According to a further variation, the method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid further comprises performing the dialysis with at least one membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of between about 6000-15,000 g/mol. In one embodiment this membrane may remove a plurality of contaminants and excess reagents from the modified proteins that are below a molecular weight, e.g. 7000 g/mol. A molecular weight of at least about 7000 g/mol typically ensures that all coupling reagents, positively-charged cross-linker, and buffer salts are separated from cationized proteins. About 7000 g/mol may be the lower limits for this dialysis, however, the membrane could be as large as 15,000 g/mol, but at the risk of losing proteins through the larger membrane.

According to a further variation, the method for creating a water-free ultra-stable protein ionic liquid further comprises confirming the cationizing of the aqueous proteins by measuring a positive zeta potential value. The zeta potential may be between about 0 mV and +5 mV. This provides the advantage of determining the number of positive charges added to the protein.

According to another variation, the method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid further comprises titrating the cationized proteins with the corresponding biologically-compatible counter anionic polymer of poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylphenyl 3-suopropyl ether, i.e. C₉H₁₉C₆H₄—(OCH₂CH₂)₂₀O(CH₂)₃SO₃. In other embodiments the counter anion polymer may be biologically-derived DL-Lactate, biologically-derived linolenic acid, phospholipids, fatty acids, the conjugate base form of amino acids (i.e. deprotonated and negatively charged), any biologically-derived singly-charged anion with low melting points (e.g. between about 5-30° C.). This provides the advantage of balancing the positive charges on the protein with negative charges of the anion to form the ionic salt form of the protein.

According to a further variation, the method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid further comprises heating the lyophilized solid to about 50° C. to generate the protein ionic liquid. This provides the advantage of melting the protein ionic salt to form a viscous water-free liquid without deactivating the protein.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the protein may be an antibody.

According to another variation, the method for creating a stable protein ionic liquid further comprises heating the protein ionic liquid at about 100° C. for about 2 hours; and testing the protein ionic liquid for antibody recognition of a corresponding antigen, when the protein is an antibody. In one embodiment, the testing may be done using a dot blot assay on a nitrocellulose membrane. In a further embodiment, the heating may be between about 75° C. and about 150° C. and/or may be between 1 and 3 hours. This provides the advantage of evaluating the temperature stability of the protein/antibody ionic liquid at extreme temperatures by directly measuring binding activity of the antibody for an antigen.

According to a further variation, the protein is an anti-hemoglobin antibody, polyclonal anti-horse spleen ferritin antibodies, monoclonal Anti-Flag antibodies, monoclonal Anti-HRP2 to Plasmodium falciparum, polyclonal Anti-neuropeptide Y, polyclonal Anti-human troponin, and all antibody isotypes, e.g. IgY, IgG, IgM, IgE, etc.

In addition, a dye, such as an IR active dye, may be combined with blood-typing antibody solutions via conjugation of an amine reactive dye, e.g., Anti-A (IgM antibody) ionic liquid, such that blood typing may be accomplished without visible light using night vision goggles to determine blood type via the hemagluttination of red blood cells, a tremendous boon to soldiers and field medics in hazardous regions. Other variations may be useful for lateral flow assays, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), anti-venom/anti-toxin therapeutics, immunotherapy, vaccines, anti-virals, detection of chemical, biological, nuclear, environmental and radioactive agents, and may be applied to other biologically-important proteins whether negatively or positively charged, e.g., insulin.

According to a second embodiment of the invention, a method comprises the steps of: providing aqueous insulin; and titrating the aqueous insulin with a mixture of small molecule anions (i.e. DL lactate or polymer anions) to form at least one enzyme/anion pair in aqueous solution.

According to a first variation of the second embodiment, the small molecule anions may be one or more of D- and L-amino acid esters, small D- and L-peptide pairs, and DL lactate solution, i.e. no more than 60 wt % DL lactate solution. It may be desirable for any anions used to be non-toxic and biocompatible. The anions may be racemic mixtures. The titration step is performed until the insulin/anion pair solution becomes negative by zeta potential measurement. Currently, shipping and storage of insulin requires that the mixture is kept cool, but not frozen. Converting the insulin mixture into an ionic liquid would eliminate the need for this.

According to a further variation of the second embodiment, the method may further comprise dialyzing the at least one insulin/anion pair to remove excess anionic polymer using a dialysis membrane having a molecular weight cutoff suitable for separating insulin/anion pairs from the solution, e.g. between 2000 and 3500 g/mol. The molecular weight of insulin is 5700 g/mol, so an acceptable cutoff range of dialysis membrane would be about 2000 to 3500 g/mol. The dialysis membrane may be selected to remove to selectively separate the desired components. The dialysis step is optional but may be considered important if high purity, i.e. for medical or therapeutic human or animal use, is desired. A dialysis (or purification) step may be performed before and/or after titration to purify the components at each stage of the method. Where dialysis is performed before titration, it may be helpful to distinguish the dialysis step as ‘purifying’ the insulin. Regardless of whether it is called dialysis or purification, this provides the advantage of obtaining a pure insulin samples composed of only insulin and/or insulin/anion pairs. The particular molecular weight target may be selected according to the desired results and the particular insulin or insulin/anion pairs being processed.

According to another variation of the second embodiment, the method may further comprise lyophilizing the insulin/anion pair solution to remove most or all of the water, forming a lyophilized solid of ultra-stable insulin. The amount of water remaining may be determined by thermal gravimetric analysis. The lyophilized insulin/anion pairs are shelf-stable and do not require refrigeration. Removing “most of the water”, “all of the water”, or “water-free” requires removal of at least 95% of the water, and in some embodiments more than 99% of the water. Lyophilization may time some time, depending on how much water is present. A 1 mL sample, for example, may take 10-12 hours, for example.

According to a further variation of the second embodiment, the method further comprises confirming the positive (electrostatic) charge of the aqueous insulin by measuring a positive zeta potential value. A minimum zeta potential value between 0 and about +5 mV may be desired for further processing, i.e. titration with anions. This step is optional, but may be useful simply to confirm that the insulin is suitable for further processing.

According to another variation of the second embodiment, when titrating the aqueous insulin, the negative zeta potential desired is below 0 mV to about −1 mV by zeta potential. A negative zeta potential of the titrated insulin/anion pairs ensures that there is a minor excess of anion but that the positive charges are equally balanced.

According to a further variation of the second embodiment, the method may further comprise heating the lyophilized solid at about 40-90° C. until an insulin ionic liquid is generated. This may take approximately 20-30 minutes, or longer, of heating. In one embodiment of the present invention, the insulin ionic liquid is a viscous, clear liquid.

According to another variation of the second embodiment, the method may further comprise heating the water-free ultra-stable insulin ionic liquid up to about 50° C. for at least 20 minutes.

According to a further variation of the second embodiment, the insulin ionic liquid may be tested for functionality and stability by using insulin responsive cells for chemiluminescence or amount of phosphorylation. Stability can also be determined by measuring structure of insulin by circular dichroism, infrared spectroscopy, or a thermal shift assay. These optional steps relates to the determination of the thermal limits appropriate for storage, i.e. long-term unrefrigerated storage, of the stabilized insulin. Although 50° C. is an upper limit provided herein, different thermal limits, e.g. 30° C., 100° C., 200° C., or temperatures anywhere between may be chosen, depending on the required efficacy of the stabilized insulin and the relative fragility of the insulin. Heating of the lyophilized solid may be done on a hotplate, in a temperature controlled water bath, or an oven at about 27-50° C., for example. The optional heating step demonstrates that a stable, heat-resistant insulin ionic liquid is formed.

According to a third embodiment of the invention, a water-free ultra-stable insulin ionic liquid comprises an insulin/anion pair. Such insulin ionic liquids may be made according to the disclosed method.

According to a variation of the third embodiment of the invention, the water-free ultra-stable insulin ionic liquid may further comprise an anionic polymer, e.g. small molecule anions, e.g. D- and L-amino acid esters, small D- and L-peptide pairs, and a 50 wt % DL lactate solution.

Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

FIG. 1 depicts a general approach to modify any protein or antibody into a stable protein or antibody, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a more-detailed approach to modify any protein or antibody into a stable protein or antibody, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a typical protein or antibody that has been cationized, according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts the cationization of a protein or antibody solution in the presence of a coupling agent, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 5A-5B depict the selective cationization of IgG in the presence of coupling agents, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts the antigen binding of an aqueous antibody at room temperature and at 100° C., according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 depicts the antigen binding of an ionic liquid antibody at room temperature and at 200° C., according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 depicts the stability of restriction enzymes before and after ionic liquid formation.

FIG. 9 depicts the synthesis of cationic molecule analogues.

FIG. 10 depicts the synthesis of antibody ionic liquids from an unmodified antibody.

FIG. 11 depicts the synthesis of antibody ionic liquids from an unmodified antibody.

FIG. 12 depicts the circular dichroism spectra of insulin, both in water and as an ionic liquid.

FIG. 13 depicts the synthesis of an insulin ionic liquid.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the sequence of operations as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes of various illustrated components, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. Certain features of the illustrated embodiments have been enlarged or distorted relative to others to facilitate visualization and clear understanding. In particular, thin features may be thickened, for example, for clarity or illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following examples illustrate particular properties and advantages of some of the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, these are examples of reduction to practice of the present invention and confirmation that the principles described in the present invention are therefore valid but should not be construed as in any way limiting the scope of the invention.

This invention exploits the physical properties of ionic liquids and the biological recognition of antigen-specific antibodies to create a stable and heat-resistant antibody protein ionic liquid that exhibits refrigeration-free storage and handling, which makes it suitable for use or storage at typical room temperatures. However, such a process has numerous obstacles to overcome because antibodies and many other proteins are negatively charged. This makes such proteins and antibodies difficult to ionically combine with anions. In order to create an ionic liquid with antibodies, the antibodies' charge must be made more positive. Antibodies have a great number of negative sites (e.g. carboxyl groups, —COOH; amine groups —NH₂; hydroxyl groups, —OH) to address, but in order to maintain the activity of the antibody the cationization process should not be too aggressive. In short, too few positive charges yields an antibody that does not function correctly as a salt. Too many positive charges yields an antibody with diminished biological activity, i.e. once the antibody's non-acid (general) amino acids are coupled the antibody loses its specificity and its usefulness.

FIG. 1 depicts a general approach 10 to modify any antibody, e.g. a native antibody. In one embodiment, four solutions may be required to produce an antibody ionic liquid: a solution of antibodies 12, a solution of cationic crosslinker molecules 14, a solution of coupling agents 16, and a corresponding anion 18. The anion 18 may be biologically-derived or abiotic. The examples presented herein utilize biologically-derived anions, but abiotic anions may be used in the same manner. After the antibodies 12 are cationized (cationized antibodies 20 with cationic crosslinker molecules depicted as “+”), biologically-derived (or biologically-compatible) anions 18 are combined with the cationized antibodies 20 to form an antibody/anion salt 22. Removal of all or most of the water, i.e. at least 95% or at least 99%, results in an ultra-stable antibody ionic liquid 24, which is depicted in a sample tube. The antibody ionic liquid 24 may require no refrigeration, may be stable (i.e. retains efficacy and functionality) at room temperature, and may be stable up to about 200° C.

FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment of the invention to modify any antibody. Some of the numerous acidic sites, i.e., —COOH (carboxyl), basic sites —NH₂ (amine), and neutral sites —OH (hydroxyl) are depicted on a native (unmodified) antibody 30. At least some of the carboxyl, amine, and hydroxyl groups may be modified in order to achieve a cationic antibody 32, i.e. the carboxyl, amine, and hydroxyl groups (depicted on native antibody 30) of the native antibody 30 are negative sites which tend to make the native antibody 30 generally anionic. This may be done selectively. Various cations may be used to selectively modify the carboxyl, amine, and hydroxyl groups. For example, EDC (1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide) may be used to modify the carboxyl groups, SIA (succinimidyl iodoacetate) may be used to modify the amine groups, and PMPI (N-(p-maleimidophenyl) isocyanate) may be used to modify the hydroxyl groups (not shown) to form an antibody cation 32. Cations in FIG. 32 are represented by “+”. If only a fraction of each carboxyl, amine, and hydroxyl group is desired to be modified, in order to maintain the functionality of the antibody salt, the stoichiometry may be adjusted to limit the reagents (e.g., EDC, SIA, PMPI) and thereby limit the number of groups, i.e. the carboxyl, amine, and hydroxyl groups, which are modified. After the antibody is cationized 32, the cationized antibody 32 may be combined with an anion 34 in order to form an antibody ionic liquid 36 after removal of most or all of the water. The antibody ionic liquid 36 is depicted in a sample tube 38.

FIG. 3 depicts a typical antibody 50 (e.g. anti-hemoglobin antibodies, anti-horse spleen ferritin IgG antibodies, or blood-typing IgM Anti-A antibodies, single-chain antibodies from camelids, monoclonal Anti-Flag antibodies, monoclonal Anti-HRP2 to Plasmodium falciparum, polyclonal Anti-neuropeptide Y, and polyclonal Anti-human troponin) that has been cationized. A typical antibody 50 has a constant region 52 and a variable region 54. The constant region 52 (corresponding to about the lower two-thirds of the depicted antibody 50) is generally the same for antibodies. The variable region 54, depicted as the upper ends of the Y branches, includes an antibody epitope 56 which will be distinct for each different type of antibody, depending on its affinity for a specific antigen. This gives the antigen its functionality. In one embodiment, only the constant region 52 is modified so as to retain the functionality of the antigen 50. Even with fewer than only about 5-15% of the amino acids in the constant region 52 modified taking into account the total number of amino acids in the constant region, or about 60-90% of the negative sites in the constant region, the resulting antibody ionic liquid will exhibit binding affinity and functionality with appropriate antigens.

FIG. 4 depicts the cationization of an antibody solution with a crosslinker (e.g. N,N-dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine, 2-(dimethylamino) ethanethiol, 4-(Dimethylamino)cinnamaldehyde or 3-(Dimethylamino)propionic acid hydrochloride or 5-(Dimethylamino)amylamine and 4-(Dimethylamino)-2-butenoic acid hydrochloride) in the presence of a coupling agent (e.g. 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC), succinimidyl iodoacetate (SIA), N-(p-maleimidophenyl) isocyanate (PMPI), N-α-maleimidoacet-oxysuccinimide ester (AMAS), N-β-maleimidopropyl-oxysuccinimide (BMPS), succinimidy 3-(bromoacetamido) propionate (SBAP), N-5-azido-2-nitrobenzoylsuccinimide (ANB-NOS), sulfosuccinimidyl-4,4′-azipentanoate (sulfo-SDA), and N-β-maleimidopropionic acid hydrazide (BMPH)). In one embodiment, cationization gives the antibody a positive charge without neutralizing its functionality. Too few positive charges means the antibody will not form an ionic liquid with an anion. Too many positive charges may result in the antibody losing its functionality. This balance is determined empirically. We start with a highly cationized antibody and determine any changes in binding activity. If binding activity is affected, we add fewer positive charges. FIG. 4 graphically illustrates how the concentrations of the coupling agents may affect the overall charge of the antibodies, and accordingly, about how many anions will be bound with the cationic antibodies. There are about 144 acidic amino acids on a typical antibody, and about 1600 total (acidic and non-acidic) amino acids. The non-acidic amino acids control the functionality of the antibodies. If too many (more than about 30% of the total amino acids) non-acid amino acids are coupled the antibody loses its specificity and affinity, i.e. it no longer functions as an antibody. The chart of FIG. 4 illustrates that there is a practical limit as to how many anions may be bound by a cationic antibody. The dashed line (line 63 with square data points) illustrates a cationic antibody solution that has been cationized at about 10 equivalents (theoretic—about 10 positive charges per IgG antibody) based on the stoichiometry or concentrations of coupling reagents of the coupling agents. Line 63 starts with a negative zeta potential, which indicates that the cationization was insufficient to give the antibodies a positive charge overall. Thus this low level of cationization is insufficient for use in making an antibody ionic liquid.

Line 62 (solid line with circle data points) illustrates a cationic antibody solution that has been cationized at about 100 equivalents (theoretic) based on the strength of the coupling agents. Line 62 starts with a positive zeta potential, which indicates that the cationization was sufficient to give the antibodies a positive charge overall. Thus this level of cationization is sufficient for use in making an antibody ionic liquid. Likewise, line 61 (solid line with triangle data points) illustrates a cationic antibody solution that has been cationized at about 1000 equivalents (theoretic) based on the strength of the coupling agents. Line 61 starts with a positive zeta potential, which indicates that the cationization was sufficient to give the antibodies a positive charge overall. Thus this level of cationization is also sufficient for use in making an antibody ionic liquid. However, the extra strength of the coupling agents did not affect the formation of the ionic liquid to the degree expected from the concentration of the coupling agents.

FIG. 5A depicts another embodiment of the invention with the selective cationization of immunoglobulin (IgG) in the presence of coupling agents. There are different numbers of the carboxyl, amine and hydroxyl groups in a typical antibody. These may be selectively coupled through the use of particular coupling agents, including, for example, SIA, PMPI, AMAS (N-α-maleimidoacet-oxysuccinimide ester), BMPS (N-β-maleimidopropyl-oxysuccinimide), SBAP (succinimidy 3-(bromoacetamido) propionate), a photoactive coupling agent (e.g. ANB-NOS (N-5-azido-2-nitrobenzoylsuccinimide) or sulfo-SDA (sulfosuccinimidyl-4,4′-azipentanoate)), or BMPH (N-β-maleimidopropionic acid hydrazide), and combinations thereof. AMAS, BMPS or SBAP may be used as a substitute for SIA. For example, SIA may be used to cationize the amine (—NH₂) sites, and PMPI may be used to cationize the hydroxyl (—OH) groups. Selective cationization of these groups in the antibodies may be accomplished with selected coupling agents, and/or the use of selected coupling agents as limited reagents, in order to achieve a desired cationic state or positive zeta potential. Line 71 (line with square data points) corresponds to the cationization of carboxyl (—COOH) groups, line 72 (line with circular data points) corresponds to the cationization of amine (—NH) groups), and line 73 (line with triangular data points) corresponds to the cationization of hydroxyl (—OH) groups). In one embodiment of the present invention, each of these groups may be selectively and/or partially cationized to achieve the desire cationic state or zeta potential in order to function properly as an ionic liquid. FIG. 5B illustrates a comparison between the theoretical total number of amino acid groups (—COOH or NH₂ or —OH) which may be modified with a positive charge and the actual number that were modified in a particular experiment. Out of a total of 144 —COOH groups (corresponding to line 1 of the graph presented on FIG. 5A), 115 of those were modified, leaving 29 —COOH groups unmodified.

Next, the cationized antibodies are titrated with a counter anionic polymer (e.g. one or more of poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylphenyl 3-sulfopropyl ether (C₉H₁₉C₆H₄—(OCH₂CH₂)₂₀O(CH₂)₃SO₃), DL-lactate, linolenate, phospholipids, fatty acids, the conjugate base form of all amino acids, biologically-derived singly-charged anions, and small DL-peptide pairs) to create at least one antibody cation/anion pair in aqueous solution until the antibody cation/anion pair solution becomes negative by zeta potential measurement. Numerous anions were identified as possibilities for making an antibody liquid salt. However, non-biological polymer anions may trigger an immune response if used in vivo. A few biological anions were discovered to be amenable to making protein ionic liquids, including DL-lactate, linolenate, phospholipids, fatty acids, and combinations thereof, which are biocompatible. These are presented only as examples and the invention is not intended to be limited solely to those biological anions. Any biologically-derived anion with a low melting point (e.g. between about 5-30° C.) that known in the art may be used. The same methodology is applicable to each of the disclosed antibodies, generally applicable to all antibodies, and yields antibody ionic liquids which are stable and maintain efficacy up to 200° C., as illustrated in FIG. 7.

FIG. 6 depicts the antigen binding of an aqueous antibody at room temperature (i.e. about 21-25° C.) 81 and at 100° C. 82 using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to measure mass of antigen adsorbed to an antibody immobilized quartz sensor. FIG. 6 illustrates that an aqueous antibody solution cannot handle elevated temperatures, as is depicted by the change in frequency response as temperature increases. As the temperature increases to 100° C., the antibody solution exhibits decreasing binding activity until no binding activity is seen. That is, no binding is observed when a constant frequency value of 0 Hz +/−0.5 Hz over time is measured.

FIG. 7 depicts the antigen binding of an ionic liquid antibody at room temperature (i.e. about 21-25° C.) 91 and at 200° C. 92 using a quartz crystal microbalance to measure mass of antigen adsorbed to an antibody immobilized quartz sensor. Binding is observed when the frequency decreases by more than about 2 Hz over time and a clear slope is observed vs. the initial baseline before antigen is added. FIG. 7 illustrates that an ionic liquid antibody solution can handle elevated temperatures and maintains functionality, as is depicted by the change in frequency response as temperature increases. As the temperature increases to 200° C., the antibody ionic liquid continues to exhibit binding activity similar to its performance at room temperature.

In one embodiment, creation of a water-free ultra-stable antibody ionic liquid, aqueous anti-hemoglobin antibodies produced in rabbits were cationized by addition of stoichiometric amounts of N,N-dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) coupling reagent; addition of succinimidyl iodoacetate (SIA) and 2-(dimethylamino) ethanethiol, and/or N-(p-maleimidophenyl) isocyanate (PMPI) and 2-(dimethylamino) ethanethiol. After cationization, the cationized antibodies were purified from excess coupling reagents by repeated dialysis in water using dialysis membranes with molecular weight cutoffs (MWCO) of 7000 g/mol. Purification is an optional step. Cationized antibodies were confirmed by a positive zeta potential value.

Next, the cationized antibodies were titrated with a corresponding non-toxic and bio-compatible counter anionic polymer of C₉H₁₉C₆H₄—(OCH₂CH₂)₂₀O(CH₂)₃SO₃ until positive charges on antibody became slightly negative by zeta potential measurements. This results in antibody cation/anion pairs which may be further processed to form an antibody ionic liquid.

The antibody cation/anion pair was dialyzed repeatedly in water to remove excess anionic polymer using MWCO 7000 dialysis membranes and lyophilized to remove all water, i.e. at least 95% or at least 99%. Dialysis is an optional step.

Finally, lyophilized solid, e.g. powder, of the cationized anti-hemoglobin/anion pair was slowly, e.g. over a 20-minute period or more, heated to about 50° C. until a viscous clear liquid was generated. In one embodiment, the heating period is 30-90 minutes. In another embodiment, the cationized anti-hemoglobin pair is heated to 40-90° C. The anti-hemoglobin antibody ionic liquids were tested for antibody recognition of hemoglobin antigen using a dot blot assay on a nitrocellulose membrane and after heating at about 100° C. for 2 hours to test for temperature resistance. The antibody ionic liquid had retained the functionality of its antibodies.

The resulting antibody ionic liquids are ultra-stable, possess long shelf-lives (i.e. greater than about 5 years), do not require refrigeration for storage/handling/use, do not have to adhere to a cold supply chain, are resistant to extreme temperatures (such as temperatures greater than about 100° C.), are non-toxic and biologically compatible, and can be easily reconstituted into water or a biological buffer for therapeutic use. By comparison, antibodies in aqueous solutions have limited shelf-lives even with controlled refrigeration, are extremely sensitive to increased temperatures, and quickly lose all biological recognition activity. In one embodiment, antibody ionic liquids provided by the disclosed method may reduce costs associated with refrigeration and may also eliminate the substantial weight burden of heavy refrigeration equipment.

Water-free antibody ionic liquids may also be prepared by the disclosed method with anti-hemoglobin antibodies, anti-horse spleen ferritin IgG antibodies, or blood-typing IgM Anti-A antibodies, stable single-chain antibodies from camelids, monoclonal Anti-Flag antibodies, monoclonal Anti-HRP2 to Plasmodium falciparum, polyclonal Anti-neuropeptide Y, and polyclonal Anti-human troponin, antibody fragments, or may contain combinations of multiple antibodies to create multi-recognition antibody liquids.

Ultra-stable antibody liquids may permit refrigeration-free handling, storage and antibody-based diagnostics. They are resistant to extreme temperatures, have long shelf lives (e.g. a 20-fold improvement of the prior art), reduce the cost/weight load of specialized refrigeration equipment, and are able to be transported to underdeveloped countries while maintaining efficacy.

The stabilization of DNA restriction endonuclease enzymes provides a unique twist in the inventive method due to the numerous positive charges in place in the native enzyme. In another embodiment of the invention, the disclosed method may be utilized to create a water-free ultra-stable restriction endonuclease enzyme ionic liquid. The enzyme ionic liquid may be comprised of the BamH1, EcoR1, EcoR2, and/or EcoRV enzymes which are used to cleave double stranded DNA at specific DNA recognition sites. As mentioned previously, the enzymes were used in an unmodified, i.e. native, enzyme state due to the majority of basic residues bearing positive charges. Accordingly, due to the native positive electrostatic charge, no cationization is necessary.

Next, the unmodified EcoR1 enzyme, for example, is titrated with a corresponding non-toxic and bio-compatible of small molecule anions of 50 wt % DL-lactate solution (no more than 60 wt % DL-lactate), until the positive charges on the enzyme, i.e. EcoR1, become slightly negative by zeta potential measurements, making one or more enzyme/anion pairs. Other small molecule anions may also be used, e.g. D- and L-amino acid esters and small D- and L-peptide pairs.

Optionally, the EcoR1/DL-lactate pair may be purified by repeated dialysis in water to remove excess anionic polymer using a dialysis membrane suitable for separating the enzyme/anion pairs, e.g. MWCO 6000-15,000, or MWCO 7000 dialysis membranes. Purification is an optional step here, and should be performed carefully because, in this example, the EcoR1 enzyme is so unstable that it loses activity over the course of dialysis (˜18 hrs at 4° C.) which works against us.

The EcoR1/DL-lactate pair is then lyophilized to remove all of the water and make a powder or solid.

Finally, the lyophilized solid, e.g. powder, of the EcoR1/DL-lactate pair was then slowly, e.g. over a 20-minute period or more, heated to about 40-90° C. until a viscous clear liquid was generated. In one embodiment, the heating period is 20-30 minutes. In another embodiment, the EcoR1/DL-lactate pair is heated to about 50° C. for the same heating period.

In order to test the stability and efficacy of the EcoR1/DL-lactate pair, the unmodified restriction enzyme ionic liquids were tested for their ability to perform double-stranded DNA cleavage with linearized DNA containing EcoR1 sites. The performance of the unmodified enzymes was compared to that of the enzyme ionic liquid. The enzyme ionic liquid is reconstituted in buffer and assayed with double stranded DNA to test for DNA cleavage. The stock enzyme in water was heated from 25° C. to 125° C. at 10° C. intervals to determine degradation and compare against the enzyme ionic liquid. Then, double-stranded DNA was exposed to the stock enzymes and enzyme ionic liquids in order to test for enzyme cleavage of DNA fragments. It was found that the restriction enzyme ionic liquid had retained its ability to cleave double-stranded DNA and to generate DNA fragments after heating enzyme ionic liquid. By contrast, (see FIG. 8) the stock enzyme is dead at 65° C. while the ionic liquid form is stable to 125° C.

The resulting restriction enzyme/endonuclease/exonuclease ionic liquids are ultra-stable, possess long shelf-lives (i.e. extrapolated to be about 5 years), do not require refrigeration for storage/handling/use, do not have to adhere to a cold supply chain, are resistant to extreme temperatures (such as temperatures greater than about 100° C.), are non-toxic and biologically compatible, and can be easily reconstituted into water or a biological buffer for molecular biology.

By comparison, even with controlled refrigeration, unstabilized DNA restriction enzymes have limited shelf-lives, are extremely sensitive to increased temperatures, and quickly lose all biological recognition activity. In one embodiment, EcoR1 ionic liquids provided by the disclosed method may reduce costs by eliminating refrigeration and cold packaging, and may also eliminate the substantial weight burden of heavy refrigeration equipment.

In one embodiment, restriction endonuclease enzyme ionic liquids may also be prepared with BamH1, EcoRII, EcoRV.

FIG. 8 demonstrates the stability of EcoR1 restriction enzymes as ionic liquid as compared with EcoR1 restriction enzymes in water. As depicted, in water, the enzymes have lost the ability to cleave after one hour of heating, while the enzyme ionic liquid maintains the ability to cleave at 125° C. Ultra-stable restriction enzyme ionic liquids may permit refrigeration-free handling and storage. They are resistant to extreme temperatures, have long shelf lives (e.g. a 20-fold improvement of the prior art), reduce the cost/weight load of specialized refrigeration equipment, and are able to be transported to underdeveloped countries while maintaining efficacy.

FIG. 9 depicts the synthesis of cationic molecule analogues in order to create protein ionic liquids from unmodified proteins. Precursors of glycolic acid ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether were converted into an activated ester in the presence of EDC and coupled with N,N′-dimethylaminopropylamine to form the cationic product of N,N′-dimethylaminopropylamide ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether. The cationic product was dialyzed in water using dialysis cassettes with MWCO of 500 g/mol with multiple water changes. As depicted, synthesis of the cationic product was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). FT-IR of the cationic product showed the disappearance of the carboxyl stretching peak (COO—) and appearance of an amide peak in the spectra. FT-IR spectra is consistent with the chemical structure of product.

FIG. 10 depicts the synthesis of antibody ionic liquids by adding an unmodified antibody (i.e. polyclonal Anti-horse spleen ferritin antibodies) with stoichiometric amounts of small molecule cations, vitamin U (i.e. DL-methionine methyl sulfonium), and small molecule anions, DL-Lactate (50%) in solution, and lyophilizing for ˜12 hours. Stabilization of the resulting antibody ionic liquids was tested by exposing the antibody ionic liquid to 95° C. for 1 hour and determining the amount of binding using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM). Binding was quantitated by flowing the antibody ionic liquid exposed at 95° C. over an apoferritin-coated QCM sensor and measuring the change in frequency. Unmodified antibodies were also tested for stabilization at 95° C. in the presence of either cations (i.e. vitamin U) or anions (i.e. DL-Lactate) after lyophilization. FIG. 10 presents a quartz crystal microbalance binding plot of lyophilized samples of unmodified antibody with DL-Lactate only, vitamin U only, and with both vitamin U and DL-Lactate.

FIG. 11 depicts antibody ionic liquids formed by combining an unmodified antibody (i.e. polyclonal Anti-horse spleen ferritin antibodies) with stoichiometric amounts of cations (i.e. N,N′-dimethylaminopropylamide ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether) and anions (i.e. glycolic acid ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether) to balance native antibody charges, and lyophilizing for ˜12 hours. Stabilization of the resultant antibody ionic liquids was tested by exposing the antibody ionic liquid to 95° C. for 1 hour and determining the amount of binding using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM). Binding was quantitated by flowing the antibody ionic liquid exposed at 95° C. over an apoferritin-coated QCM sensor and measuring the change in frequency. Unmodified antibodies were also tested for stabilization at 95° C. in the presence of either cations (i.e. N,N′-dimethylaminopropylamide ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether) or anions (i.e. glycolic acid ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether) after lyophilization. FIG. 11 shows quartz crystal microbalance binding plots of lyophilized samples of unmodified antibody with anionic glycolic acid ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether only, cationic N,N′-dimethylaminopropylamide ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether only, and with both anionic glycolic acid ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether and cationic N,N′-dimethylaminopropylamide ethoxylate 4-nonylphenyl ether.

Experimental

Aqueous insulin was titrated with a mixture of DL lactate and poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylphenyl 3-sulfopropyl ether (about 50 wt %). Two subsequent runs used a DL-lactate solution and poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylphenyl 3-sulfopropyl ether, respectively. Each was successful. Before titration, the charge of the aqueous insulin was confirmed by measuring a positive zeta potential value, e.g. between 0 and +5 mV.

The titrating step was performed until the insulin/anion pair solution(s) became negative.

The insulin/anion pair solution(s) were lyophilized to remove all water, i.e. at least 95% or at least 99%, to form a lyophilized solid of ultra-stable insulin.

In another test, the insulin/anion pair solution(s) were purified to remove excess small molecule anions by dialysis in water. The dialysis was performed with at least one membrane sufficient to separate the insulin/anion pairs from excess small molecule anions. Dialysis membranes with molecular weight cutoffs (MWCO) of about 2000-15,000 g/mol, e.g. 2000-3500 g/mol, may be used. Insulin is about 5800 g/mol; this should be kept in mind when the particular dialysis membrane is selected.

Finally, the lyophilized solid, e.g. powder, or dialyzed product of the insulin/anion pairs was slowly, e.g. over period of at least 20 minutes, heated to about 40-90° C. until a viscous clear insulin ionic liquid was generated. In one embodiment, the heating period is 30-90 minutes. The temperature may be about 50° C.

FIG. 12 depicts the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of insulin, both in water and as an ionic liquid. On the left, insulin in water at room temperature (RT) exhibits an expected spectrum for stable insulin molecules, which is very similar to the spectrum for the insulin ionic liquid at room temperature, depicted on the right. However, while the right image shows that the spectrum for insulin ionic liquid at 95° C. is almost identical to that of the insulin ionic liquid at room temperature and the insulin in water at room temperature, the spectrum of insulin in water at 85° C. demonstrates that the insulin has lost its stability, rendering it inactive and without efficacy. FIG. 12 presents stability results for DL-lactate with insulin by circular dichroism (CD) since DL-lactate has a zero CD spectrum. On the other hand, poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylphenyl 3-sulfopropyl ether has a strong CD signal and interferes/overlaps with the CD of insulin. An in vitro assay with avian cells was used to test the stability and efficacy of poly(ethylene glycol) 4-nonylphenyl 3-sulfopropyl ether and anion mixture with insulin. As FIG. 12 demonstrates, native insulin does not retain its stability when subjected to extreme (for a biological protein) heat. To the contrary, the insulin ionic liquid retains its stability to at least 95° C., demonstrating the dramatic improvement in performance and utility.

FIG. 13 demonstrates insulin ionic liquids created by combining insulin from bovine pancreas with stoichiometric amounts of vitamin U (i.e. DL-methionine methyl sulfonium) and DL-Lactate (50%) in solution and lyophilizing for ˜12 hours. Lyophilized insulin ionic liquid was tested for stabilization by heating to 95° C. for 1 hour. Circular dichroism spectroscopy was performed on heated insulin ionic liquid and compared to insulin ionic liquid at room temperature immediately after lyophilization. CD spectra showed the alpha helical CD peak for insulin increased slightly in ellipticity for insulin ionic liquid heated at 95° C.

While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of one or more embodiments thereof and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, they are not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope of the general inventive concept. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising the steps of: a) providing aqueous insulin; b) titrating the aqueous insulin with a mixture of small molecule anions to form an insulin/anion pair solution, wherein the small molecule anions comprise DL lactate solution.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the titrating step is performed until the insulin/anion pair solution becomes negative by zeta potential measurement.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising dialyzing the at least one insulin/anion pair to remove excess small molecule anions using a dialysis membrane having a molecular weight cutoff between 2000-3500 g/mol.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising lyophilizing the insulin/anion pair solution to remove all of the water, forming a lyophilized solid of ultra-stable insulin.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising dialyzing the insulin/anion pair solution to remove all of the water, forming a solid of ultra-stable insulin.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: confirming the positive electrostatic charge of the aqueous insulin by measuring a positive zeta potential value.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: confirming the charge of the aqueous insulin by measuring a zeta potential value between about 0 and +5 mV.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after titrating, purifying the insulin/anion pair solution from excess small molecule anions by dialysis in water.
 9. The method for creating a water-free ultra-stable insulin ionic liquid of claim 1, further comprising: after titrating, performing the dialysis with at least one membrane sufficient to separate the insulin/anion pairs from excess small molecule anions.
 10. The method of claim 4, further comprising: heating the lyophilized solid over a period of at least 20 minutes up to about 40-90° C., until a viscous clear insulin ionic liquid is generated.
 11. The method of claim 4, further comprising: heating the lyophilized solid over a period of at least 20 minutes up to about 50° C., until a viscous clear insulin ionic liquid is generated.
 12. The method of claim 5, further comprising: heating the dialyzed insulin/anion pairs over a period of at least 20 minutes up to about 40-90° C., until a viscous clear insulin ionic liquid is generated.
 13. The method of claim 5, further comprising: heating the dialyzed insulin/anion pairs over a period of at least 20 minutes up to about 50° C., until a viscous clear insulin ionic liquid is generated.
 14. An insulin ionic liquid, comprising: an insulin/anion pair, wherein the insulin/anion pair comprises an insulin/DL-lactate pair. 